Why did he make a point of calling Channing by his name?
It seemed… sinister. It felt… fucked up.
Max frowned at the thought of Judd trying to implicate Channing into the situation. Something wasn’t right. In fact, Max was beginning to feel like Judd might be involved in this situation a whole lot more than he was letting on.
With this in mind, Max decided that what he needed was some thinking time. And the best way he knew of doing this would be by hitting the road for a good, old-fashioned jog in the Los Frisco hills.
Max quietly slipped out of the bed and got into his torn running t-shirt and short black running shorts.
It was time to work up a sweat and see if he could come up with a solution to this problem – a solution that involved sticking around and making good his commitment to Channing.
Max was a Daddy now. There was no way he was going to leave his boy hanging.
And if Max could manage to get one or two of his friends involved too, then that was even better…
* * *
The Los Frisco hills, more specifically the Las Losso canyon, was a popular running spot for the hardened, physically fit runners and athletes in the locality.
With its punishing terrain and swelteringly hot temperatures, it wasn’t the kind of place to come for a gentle warm up run. No,this was something else. To run in the hills, you needed grit, determination, and a whole heap of cardiovascular prowess.
Fortunately for Max, he had all these things.
As did Harrison and Michael too…
‘Fuck! That was intense!’ Max said, just about reaching the top of the canyon ahead of Michael and Harrison. ‘I think this means that the juices are on you…’
‘Damn it, man,’ Harrison said, arriving seconds later, his breathing heavy. ‘You’re getting faster with age.’
‘That was brutality defined,’ Michael said, making a final effort to sprint to the finish. ‘But I think we all did a good job.’
The three Daddies high-fived and took a moment to take in the surrounding from the top of the canyon. Beneath them in the distance was Los Frisco, its coastline full of cafés and boutique shops looking as pretty as ever. Behind them was the lush forest and lake-filled expanse of territory that stretched out for miles, further than the eye could see.
‘We need to arrange a camping trip,’ Max said. ‘The sooner the better.’
Max imagined how much fun it would be to take a camping trip with Michael and Harrison. They hadn’t done anything like that together for a long time. But a few beers around the campfire seemed like a perfect way to escape the Judd situation…
‘Guys, I need to talk about something,’ Max said, realizing that he needed to open up to his friends. ‘I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but…’
‘No, speak, we’re here for you bro,’ Harrison said, lifting his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face, his six-pack glistening in the morning sun.
‘Yeah, whatever it is we’ve got your back,’ Michael added, squatting down onto his haunches and then powering back up into an upright position. ‘Damn, I came up too fast! Maybe wearegetting too old for this.’
The men laughed.
The levity of the moment put Max at ease.
‘Okay, so here’s the situation…’ Max said, beginning to explain exactly what had happened on the night of the crash, how he couldn’t remember anything after blacking out, and then of course Judd’s increasingly menacing presence in his, and now Channing’s, life.
When he was through explaining the situation, Max took a deep breath. It actually felt like a huge relief to get it off his chest. And luckily for Max, he had two of the best bro friends a man could ask for…
‘You need to do what is right for you and Channing,’ Harrison said. ‘If that means facing Judd, then that’s what you need to do. Whatever it takes, man.’
‘Yeah, and we’ll be here to back you up if you need it,’ Michael added. ‘I do not like the sound of Judd at all. I’ve known people like him. If a dude acts like a snake, that usually means heisone. I think this is one problem you need to tackle sooner rather than later by the sounds of things.’
It was comforting to listen as Michael and Harrison continued to spitball some suggestions for how Judd could be dealt with.
Max always thought of himself as someone with good problem solving skills, but listening to Harrison and Michael it was clear that in fact Max really could benefit from sharing his problems more rather than trying to be macho by covering them up.
